February-March 2007 Next Membership Meeting is Tuesday, March 27, 2007 7:30 p.m.

President Tom Merz 1st Vice President Denise Taylor 2nd Vice President Laszlo Pentek Secretary Chris Reed Treasurer Bennie Liles Newsletter Editor Alan Fiala Website http://www.beekeepersnova.org In This Issue Next Meeting program BANV Proposed Budget, BANV 2007 Memorial, Pearl Liles Minutes of last meeting of BANV Announcements Next state meet 2 B A Bee 4H Notes CCD by Dewey Caron Nutrition for Bees by Dewey Caron Future Meetings of BANV May 22, 2007 Other Meetings of Interest April 27-28, 2007 VSBA, Sandston (Richmond)

Cafeteria , Falls Church High School 7521 Jaguar Trail Falls Church, VA 22042

1 1 1 2 2 2 2 3 4

Packages and Splits The next membership meeting is Tuesday, March 27, in the cafeteria at Falls Church High School. Dane Hannum will demonstrate how to install the packages he will have just brought from Georgia, and also how to split a strong hive. Proposed Budget for FY 2007 The Executive Committee proposes the following budget for the new fiscal year. It will be voted on at the upcoming meeting. Income Dues 85 members Arlington Co. Fair Year end carry over Total Expenses Arlington Co. Fair Picnic & potluck Newsletter/website 4H Club Speakers Va. Tech. Donation Total $535.00 170.00 150.00 100.00 350.00 600.00 $1905.00 Memorial to Pearl Liles Pearl Liles, an original member of BANV from 1970, and longtime secretary as well as refreshments chair, died in late December. Larry Kelley and Pat Haskell have set up a memorial fund. All contributions will be forwarded to the Virginia Tech program for beekeeper education. The fund will close at the end of May. Send contributions to Pat Haskell, 8108 Collins St., Annandale, VA 22003-1224.
1

$850.00 640.00 415.00 $1905.00

Listgroup for BANV Join the informal discussion of beekeeping experiences among the club. To subscribe, just send a message to BANVsubscribe@yahoogroups.com, and say that you are a member of BANV.

BANV Newsletter March 2007

Minutes of the January 23, 2007, Meeting of BANV Thirty-six members attended the January 23 meeting and potluck dinner. BANV President Tom Merz opened the business portion of the meeting by seeking a motion to approve the minutes of the last meeting as printed in the newsletter. A motion was made, seconded and passed. Pat Haskell described the open house scheduled for February 10 for the benefit of people taking the class Practical Beekeeping for Beginners from mid-February through mid-April. She also circulated a sign up sheet for experienced beekeepers willing to be mentors to the new beekeepers. The manager of Whole Foods Green Program contacted Alan Fiala recently to a nnounce Whole Foods intention to install an observation hive in the produce department of their new store in Fair Lakes. Whole Foods asked for help from BANV in setting up and maintaining the observation hive. BANV me mber Frank Linton, who has an observation hive in his home, has volunteered to lead the effort. Frank would like assistance. Alan Fiala reported that Bob Wellemeyer, our regional apiary inspector, is selling bees again this spring. Three-pound package bees will be available in mid-March for $53. Hygienic queens will be available in April for $15. Three-frame nucs will be sold from late April to June for $65. Brenda Kiessling stated that she is looking for new 4 H Club members. Brenda has also been appointed to the Virginia Plant Pollination Advisory Board, representing hobbyist beekeepers. Contact Brenda if you want to bring anything to the attention of the board. Paul Kent let the meeting attendees know that he is accepting orders for Minnesota hygienic queens to be delivered this spring. Larry Kelley announced the death of Pearl Liles, an original member of BANV and longtime secretary. Larry said that a memorial fund was being set up in Pearls memory to raise funds for beekeeper education at Virginia Tech. Pearl and her husband Bennie Liles have been members of BANV since 1970 and have played an essential role in
BANV Newsletter March 2007

the history of the association. Pat Haskell will be collecting donations until the June meeting. Dane Hannum and Larry Kelley will drive down to Wilbanks Apiaries in Georgia to pick up the first 450 packages of bees on March 29. They will pick up another 450 packages on April 8 or 9. Packages will cost $54 this year. Queens will cost $12 this year and marked queens cost an additional $1.50. Please return any empty package bee cages in clean condition to Dane or Larry before April. Respectfully submitted, Christopher Reed, Secretary Announcements Bob Wellemeyer, state apiary inspector, is available to help analyze dead-outs. Call him for an appointment. W: 540-347-6380, H: 540-937-2175. VSBA Summer Meeting April 27-28 The summer meeting hosted by the Ric hmond Beekeepers Association will have the usual selection of fine speakers: Jerry Hayes from Florida, Jim Tew from Ohio, and Phil Kraft from Kentucky, plus Wyatt Mangum, Rick Fell, and Keith Tignor. Preregistration will be required to have lunch on site. Look for details in the state newsletter. 2 B A BEE 4-H Notes from Brenda Kiessling 2 B A BEE held an Open House on Saturday, March 10, 2007, at Woodrow Wilson Library near Bailey's Cross R oads to interest new club members. One club member with a full bee suit on and sandwich boards advertising the Open House paraded around the Library. Six people signed up; we will invite them to our next club meeting. Our club colony at Hidden Pond Park has drones in March! Turns out this is because there is no queen and there is some brood but it is all drone brood. Interesting problem that the club will have to work out. One family has lost 2 out of 2 colonies. One family has lost one out of 2 colonies. I do not know the other counts.

Epidemic of Bee Losses: CCD

Dewey M. Caron, U.Del. In October, continuing into December, an alarming number of honey bee colonies began to die along the East Coast of the U.S. At American Bee Federation National meetings in January, there were r eports that losses may be more widespread as mid-west and west coast beekeepers begin to ready colonies for February almond pollination in California. Termed Colony Collapse Disorder, these losses, coupled with local bee supply issues, may have a negative impact on pollination needs in Delaware and the entire Mid-Atlantic region this coming season. In annual surveys I have documented that Delaware and Mid-Atlantic bee losses are greater than they should be with losses some winters as high as 50%. Thus DE and PA beekeepers now maintain under 50% of the colony number reported just a few years ago. I will soon send a survey asking about the current winter loss situation and ask again that you share your ni formation with others. I will continue to report the results in the NEWSY BEE and on the MAAREC website (http://www.MAAREC.org). Losses were first noted by Dave Hackenberg, a migratory east coast beekeeper. As he usually did, he made nucs from Pennsylvania colonies moved to Florida but rather than expand they failed. As he asked other beekeepers, commonalities emerged of sudden loss of colonies, described as strong before collapse so that just the queen and handful of bees remain within a 2-4 week collapse period. Hives had brood and ample storage of pollen/honey left in the frames. Oddly, robbing was not evident and, also remarkably, the deadouts were not immediately invaded by SHB or wax moth. Samples were taken of bees, brood, stored honey and pollen. A preliminary r eport of results from analysis of the samples taken from the collapsed colonies. Dennis vanEngelsdorp conducted the in-depth interviews and MAAREC (Penn state and m yself), USDA, No Carolina State Univ, FL Dept Ag and U of Montana are cooperating in analysis of dead bees and hive contents.
BANV Newsletter March 2007

The search for the cause(s) for these losses will follow several leads. Colony losses were found mostly in migratory operations, beekeepers used equipment from deadouts to establish nucs, colonies had a history of stress, the colonies were managed with lots of splitting, colonies experienced a hard stress 1-2 months before collapse (not same stress) and beekeepers were chemophilic, using largely unlabeled compounds for mite control. Ruled out from interviews was queen stock (queens from multiple sources) and feeding (food source & methods also differed widely). SO what has been found to date? [NOTE: similar sudden colony losses have been reported in the past with names like fall/spring dwindling, disappearance disease, fall collapse, etc this is the first time reasons for losses have been so intensively examined]. Pests: Varroa levels in surviving bees were high but the numbers may be an artifact of sampling adult bees from collapsing populations (the mites became concentrated on the few remaining bees). HBTM [tracheal mites] were not present, but is this an artifact of only having surviving adults bees to sample with those the mite might have affected already dead? Curiously, SHB and wax moth, our two serious scavenger pests, had not moved into emptied hives yet and robbing bees were absent around the deadouts. Virus: Penn State research Diana CoxFoster found heavy virus loads: CWV [Cloudy wing virus] was especially evident with scarring in thorax. Virus levels were low in honey or bee bread but heavy in Queens and workers analysed at Penn State by HPLC methods Brood Disease: Chalkbrood virus of brood also found in adults [which is unusual]; 1 sample had AFB. All colonies had EFB and the brood field symptoms were those we attribute to Bee PMS. Protozoa Nosema present, also amoeba in Malpighian tubules and a flagellate in hind gut both very uncommon Fungi internal aspergillus was surprisingly abundant around some organs - this is 80% fatal in humans but we dont know how the fungus affects bees Pesticides some activity peaks were found in first bees checked imidachloprid (neonicitoids) + fungicide mixture being checked.
3

So the bottom line is that investigations so far have turned up some suspects and some unusual occurrences. A follow-up meeting will be held in mid-February in FL in conjunction with an already planned review of research priority projects of National Bee Project 305. For more i n formation see the preliminary report from Penn State researchers on MAAREC.org and the U Montana survey at beesurvey.com. And I want to emphasize the importance of filling out surveys. [Editors note: see (http://www.MAAREC.org) as the official site for the CCD working group. Updates are posted as soon as released.]

? ? ? Bee Nutrition ? ? ?
Dewey M. Caron, U of Del. Bee Nutrition is a neglected aspect of bee biology maybe even to deserving being labeled the lost Science? Recently the Australian Government published a booklet Fat Bees Skinny bees A Manual on Honey Bee Nutrition for Beekeepers (RIRDC # 05/054 see copy at website www.rirdc.gov.au). The manual is designed to assist Australian beekeepers who rely on unique, but only limited number of plants for pollen and nectar resources. Beekeepers everywhere who pollinate, build nucs, make increase colonies, rear queens, or who rely on early nectar flow sources for a majority of their season, should also consider their bees nutrition needs as Australias beekeepers have learned is necessary for their bees. How do we know the bees nutritional needs and how/when to best supplement colonies via feeding of sugar and/or pollen supplement? Unfortunately there is no simple signal that bees need nutritional attention. No two colonies are exactly the same, reflecting the individuality of beekeeping and the varying needs of bee colonies at different apiary sites. Some locations are better than others but the availability of
BANV Newsletter March 2007

food to forage does not always follow bee needs. Adult bees need protein early in their life and then only carbohydrate; larvae have high protein needs for the short 6-day feeding period in their life cycle. All food input comes from three external sources; carbohydrate from nectar or a small number of other foragable sugar sources [which the bees process into honey], protein and vitamins, minerals, cholersterol, etc from pollen [processed into bee bread] and finally water from water collected outside or recycled from within the bees body. Bees that are skinny (exhibit nutritional stress) are actually smaller in body size, have less body reserves to utilize, have more disease pathogens and have been shown to rear less brood. Less brood rearing in turn leads to less Brood Pheromone and therefore colonies have: fewer pollen foragers Slower colony growth in spring Less success with over wintering Are poorer pollination colonies w/ smaller forager populations. Bees that are Fat (i.e. have adequate nutrition): Produce colonies strong in young bees to make nucs/packages Yield strong pollination units Respond better to stimulation in spring buildup Exhibit better winter survival Are more adequate for queen/drone production Are better able to overcome pesticide damage Recover better from mites/disease Beekeepers frequently supplement basic nutritional needs of their bees. Have you ever fed sugar syrup or a protein supplement or provided a water source for your colonies? Most of us have and many do so every season, often multiple times. Most of us feed because the bees seem to do better. We could know/do better if we understood bee needs and the chemistry of what we are using as supplements. In the November Bee Culture I discussed the basics of nutritional needs and management if you want a copy please let me know (dmcaron@udel.edu) and I will send a r eprint. So what can we accomplish by supplemental feeding and what is/are the best materials/methods to use? The simple a n4

swer is we dont know. Although nutrition studies have been lacking a comprehensive study on supplemental feeding to prepare bees for almond pollination is now underway by the 4 USDA BEE Labs at a single location in California. Study variables are: 160 Italian & 100 Russian colonies 4 diets Bee Pro , Feed Bee, Mega Bee, Adee program w/pollen only & control Measuring bees (hypopharyngeal glands, nitrogen content), colonies (brood, diet eaten), + disease pathogens & longevity. The study will not be concluded until February. Jeff Pettis of USDA, Beltsville r eported that an early read was that diet-fed colonies had more brood, more than the pollen-only fed bees, and control (non-fed) colonies were the poorest. [for information on Feed Bee see www.feedbee.biz or articles in Jan & Aug Bee Culture - For Bee Pro see Mann Lake at www.mannlakeltd.com] One of the materials in the test, Mega Bee, is the diet that Gordon Wardell, formerly at U Maryland, has been developing. It is included in both patty and liquid form in the current test. His work and studies on use of Bee pro and other diets have demonstrated that we must entice the bees to these supplements by either 1) adding sugar as an enticement or 2) putting them where the bees want to remove them b ecause the bees do not actually know or recognize the amino acids they need to survive. In feeding tests it has been shown that a wide range of materials will supply the bee needs. We know we need to avoid milk and animal fats (they contain sugars toxic to bees) and must use processed soybean products [the most inexpensive and readily available protein source we can use for bees although Feed bee, the newest material introduced to the market, uses a different base] because processing affects raffinose levels, a sugar in soybeans that is toxic to bees. Now we are discovering that the most readily available and cheapest sugar, corn based HFCS (high fructose corn syrup), may also harm bees. If the corn starch is heated too high or too long to liquefy for industrial inversion, toxic sugars stacyose and raffinose might be elevated or the HMF content becomes high. Bees fed such products do not live as long in lab tests. If you use HFCS
BANV Newsletter March 2007

and it is darkly colored or not sweet tasting it probably should not be fed to the bees. Unfortunately beekeeper sources of HFCS have become limited recently as fewer manufacturers process it correctly for bee use. Maybe our emphasis on alternative fuels will result in more byproduct sweeter availability for bees and other uses. We need to have the science catch up to our bees. Virtually all other animals in our care benefit from supplemental feeding and we know the bees can as well. We need this lost science to help us determine what and how best to assist our bees when conditions warrant it. [NOTE: The best r eview of Bee Nutrition remains the Chapter with same title in The Hive and the Honey Bee, by Elton Herbert, my PhD student, now deceased]. Editors note: both of Deweys articles are reprinted by permission from The Newsy Bee, newsletter of the Delaware State Beekeepers Association.

Remember: all the latest information from the CCD working group will be posted on: http://www.maarec.org/